Why Follow Bread Crumbs When You Can Smell Fresh Baked Bread From Your Own Kitchen? - 319

That's a bit of a lengthy title but it conveys the message, quickly.  Can you hear me?

i experienced the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit tonight in Church in jail.  A young man that i met earlier this year at the laundromat, came to work with me after a month or so, and tonight he went with me for a second time to Church.  What we all experienced was God first hand, saving the heart of a young man that was hurting and wanting to change.  My friend was tired of hurting, of searching for something good in life, wanting freedom and joy.  i know he opened his heart up to God tonight, and The Lord answered.  This fundamental change brought on by an act of The Spirit of God is called being reborn in the Spirit and is what Jesus said had to happen for a man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 

During our service we have Testimony time.  When my friend stood up and started talking, he first thanked the Church for the gift of a Bible.  His heart really softened and he shared the pain of the life he came from in brief.  One of the ministers stood up and asked that all the preachers and assembly pray over my friend, while he annointed him with oil.  The air was already full of the Spirit of God from our praise songs and many other testimonies and scriptures (mini-sermons).  What happened then was the feeling of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit over everyone.  We were all praying for my friend and some started singing their own songs and others receiting scriptures.....  the sound of many voices, each unique yet all in one accord and one heart.  My whole body shivers with the remembrence of just a few hours ago.  This Church in jail is something special that God has created for His Glory.
You don't have to look for crumbs of blessings elsewhere.  You don't have to search through someone else.  Look into your heart and search for God.  Talk to Him and seek the only way to freedom and rebirth in the Spirit of God.  Tell Him you don't believe in Him and He will have convince you that HE IS.  He is with you always and knows everything about you, try Him. 

He's in your kitchen baking the best bread you have ever had.  (Can you tell i'm getting the bread baking desire back?)  But seriously, take a moment each day to sit with Him and get to know your Creator...just talk.  May you also be blessed to experience the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the humility to know that God can use you for His Will, even if you are beat up and tossed out like the rest of the herd.... lol..  He'll pick you up and clean you up and bless you for His purpose. 

i haven't written much in a long time, but have mostly walked quietly this year, learning, seeking God in prayer, stumbling over myself, and becoming an apprentice.  i hope to be writing more, regularly, and on many things in my heart and mind, and from my hands at work and play. 

my heart feels really good today - free.  To be able to watch someone else experience God - to watch Him do something right in front of you to a man - is simply amazing, profound... or Just God.  My friend knows Jesus tonight, i saw a huge burden lifted from him tonight.  He is feeling free too.

Thank You Father.

Well,,,,,  Stop and Smell the Fresh Baked Bread!

Love and Blessings,
~ab

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Church - 312

There's a Tuesday in every week and tonight was Church night at Clay County Jail - That's the Church i call home.  The sermon this evening was based on Job 21:15:
  "Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
  And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?"

Prayer strengthens our bond and relationship with God the Almighty.  When we work on a relationship with someone, we spend time with them and talk to get to know them better.  That's all prayer is, talking with God - The One God that created you - and getting to know Him better.  What a better Friend and Counselor, Comforter and Master Carpenter do we have in the Lord?  None better and none more deserving of our time and service as He blesses the path and purpose for which He created you.

Our purpose here is to serve and God created good works for us to walk in before we even arrived here.  Seek Him and wait on Him in the silent comfort of your secret place.

God Bless,
~ab

Phillipians 4: 6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Punch Out - 311

The Final phase of any project is the punch out or punch list as referred to in construction.  This is the small details that need to be completed to wrap up the job.  Depending on how proficient the crews are, there may or may not be a lot to detail for completion.

Today, i'm finishing the final coat on the last seven windows and will be pathching a small squirrel hole in the fascia board.  This project and client have been a blessing all year and the project has turned out to be a success on the level and amount of work done.  This really has been a lesson in restoration, one of restoring a building and one of restored faith and love for Jesus.  You see, He has walked me through this project as He walks us all through the challenges of our lives. 

So today, as i complete the final details, i place my faith in God to continue to restore my soul and to provide a Way for the needs of the day - both mine and others.  If you open your spiritual eyes and ears, God will provide all your needs while using you to minister and lift up others.  Each day, our walk is one of faith and service - doing His will while He restores us to our rightful place as sons and daughters of God.

God Blesses You Greatly This Day,

~ ab

Two ina Row - 305

Well it could have been, if i had been online earlier, but just an hour turns the calendar twice so, it's Day 305.  i have been blessed with work this summer and several new outlets and clients.  Just a little more to fund the work and equipment, but i have always looked at my feet and where God is dropping the next blessing in my path.  Along the way there has been much ministering, you know just helping others along.

i am nearly finished with a house restoration that has lasted several months.  The last of the windows have been installed and the interior and exterior trim and finishing is in progress.  Here's a snapshot of work in the woodshop last week - rebuilding the last four windows.  These units are wood framed with insulated glass, which was cutting edge 30 years ago.  Each frame had to be disassembled, cleaned, and new sashes and stiles glued up to complete the window rebuilding and restoration.  The windows are then glazed, primed and assembed into the jambs and sills of the double hung unit.  Lol...  no this isn't this old house, more of a Spiritual lesson through the analogy of restoration.  It really doesn't matter where you look throughout your entire day - there is a lesson of teaching, growth and understanding from God.

You might start planting flowers and then the next thing you know, you're rebuilding a house.  Follow the still small voice of your heart - God is there in the silence, waiting to rebuild you.

God Bless!   ~  antbrother

Out of Nowhere - 303

Miracles out of Nowhere, that is where they come from ~ God.  Nowhere and everywhere. Just Love and Miracles.  i didn't really go anywhere, just haven't been online much and have been busy with work - Blessed Indeed!

The lyrics from that old Kansas song are foretelling of our journey here.
"When you comin' home now son, the world is not for you."

But the GoOD News is that we are in essence ordained and sent here for wisdom and understanding ~ that of God's ~ so that we may complete the Will of why He has placed us here.  i have watched in Spirit while walking through the heat of this summer and i have grown in some ways and showed my flesh at other times - my apologies.  But the point that is most important is that through the process of learning from God we continue to stand, get up and shake the dust off, and keep walking.  Our primary purpose is to get to know a guy named Jesus ~ Yeshua ~ as a friend and savior and He'll walk you out of this mess and back home.  The interesting thing is watching how He walks. 

God creates everything from nothing.

God Bless from the ant mound,

~antbrother

Three Years of Composting...so far... - 180

This font name reminds of verbena... but anyway - Here are some of the latest photos of the garden.  Time to stake up some 'mater plants. :)

God Bless,  ~ ab

Eyes and Ears of The Spirit - 172

An earful came my way this past Sunday and i was humbled to the point of exhaustion.  The rest of the day was spent weeding the garden and basically praying - talking to God, asking Him questions and laughing the afternoon away in His company within the Garden He made. 

i must decrease so that He can increase...  less and less of me and more and more of Him.  Without the exchange of power in one's life there really is no way to steer clear of all the barrage of onslaughts.  Yeshua leads the way out but first, take a knee to Him and keep faith in the Master.  He will be your eyes and ears.

Be Blessed This Day!

~ ab